Singletree-hook



m. muss. Patent ed Jan. 3, I899. A. B. SULLIVAN. SINGLETBEE HOOK.

(Application filed Sept. 8, 189B.)

(NoYModeL) W/ TIVE SSE S A 7TOHNEYS.

i Fries.

INGLETREE=HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,263, dated January 3, 1899.

Application filed September 8, 1898. Serial No. 6 90,499. (No model.)

T wZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR RICHARD SUL- LIVAN, of Rome, in the county of Floyd and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Singletree-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of hooks which are provided with a pivoted link or bar for closing the mouth of the hook to prevent the chain or other connection from being accidentally disconnected; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of a hook and link designed especially for use as a singletree-hook and in which the closinglink is open when tension is on the tracechain and is closed when tension is taken off the trace-chain, as will be hereinafter more fully described with reference to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the hook connecting the singletree clip and the trace-chain, showing the position of parts when the trace is under the draft strain. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the parts when the draft strain is relaxed; and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

In the drawings, F represents the end of a singletree, to which is applied the end clip A, terminating in front in an eye B, to which is loosely connected the eye of my improved hook O. This hook preferably has its end or point provided with an inwardly-projecting lug a. At the side of the eye portion of my hook there is formed a swell or bulge c, with a hole through it in which is permanently secured a freely-swinging open link E of a length and width just suflicient to shut over the lug c at the point of the hook and close the mouth of the same. WVhen the tracechain D is in the hook O and under tension, as shown in Fig. 1, the link E drops down and is of no special service, as it is not possible for the trace-chain to become detached when under tension, even if the mouth of the hook .is open. When, however, tension on the trace chain is relaxed, as when the team ceases pulling or comes to a standstill, the trace= chain drops down into a nearly vertical posi= tion, and if the team is restive or is made to stamp by fiies or insects the trace-chain is Very apt to become detached except for my invention.

seen that if the slack trace is kicked up it 7 cannot get out of the hook.

I am aware that the mouth of a hook has been closed by a freely-swinging link or bar, and I do not claim this broadly, but only my special construction and arrangement of parts, in which the closure is eifected by the pendent position of the hook. Thus, referring to Fig. 2, when the hook is in a verticallypendent position its longitudinal axis w 03 is vertical and the position of the link E is vertical and parallel to 02m, and when so hanging it closes the mouth of the hook.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- A hook having an eye at one end with a per forated projection e on one side, and a hook point at the other end in combination with an open link hung within the perforated projection and arranged to swing freely to an open or closed position, said link being arranged to seat itself against the point when the longitudinal axis of the hook is in a vertical position substantially as and for the purpose described.

ARTHUR RICHARD SULLIVAN.

"Witnesses:

H. A. DEAN, S. F. MAGRUDER. 

